David Tennant: Everything you need to know about the Scottish actor

From his early decision to pursue acting to his most notable roles, here’s everything you need to know about David Tennant.

David Tennant: Everything you need to know about the Scottish actor

One of Scotland’s most beloved stars, David Tennant has made himself known across the world with his varied career.

From his role as the Tenth Doctor – and the Fourteenth – and his appearance in the Harry Potter franchise to his work in more gritty dramas such as Broadchurch and Des, Tennant comes from a background which many Scottish people can resonate with.

And with the actor set to host the 2024 Bafta awards, here’s everything you need to know about David Tennant.

Early Life

David Tennant was born in Bathgate on April 18, 1971 as David John McDonald to Helen and Alexander McDonald. His father was a minister who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and he grew up alongside his brother Blair and sister Karen in Ralston, Renfrewshire.

His determination to pursue acting as a career was made known to his parents when he was as young as three years old.

He attended Ralston Primary School before moving onto Paisley Grammar School, and despite his parents encouraging him to seek a more conventional career he joined Saturday acting classes from the age of 11.

This would eventually lead to Tennant gaining a place at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland despite being the youngest in his year at 17 years old.

It was around this period that Tennant chose to rename himself, taking on the stage name of David Tennant after seeing an article featuring the Pet Shop Boys frontman Neil Tennant.

He revealed that in 2013 he legally changed his name to Tennant in order to comply with rules made by the Screen Actors’ Guild in the US, joking: “Thank you, Neil Tennant.”

Career

Tennant’s acting debut came before he was ever known by his stage name, appearing in an anti-smoking campaign made by the Glasgow health board. Around the same time he also appeared in ITV children’s show Dramarama.

It wasn’t until he graduated from the Royal Conservatoire that he received his first professional role in a production of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui alongside Ashley Jensen with a small role in sitcom Rab C Nesbitt.

In 1994 he took on his first major TV role as Campbell Bain in drama series Takin’ Over the Asylum which he has credited with his future success.

During filming he met Scottish comedian and actress Arabella Weir with whom he lodged with in the early nineties when he moved to London. From there he appeared in several television series such as Posh Nosh, with one of his earliest big screen roles coming in the 1996 film Jude which starred Christopher Eccleston.

Tennant’s early career saw him develop his acting on stage, frequently performing in Royal Shakespeare Company productions and being nominated in 2003 for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for his performance in Kenneth Lonergan’s Lobby Hero.

In 2003 he would appear in Stephen Fry’s film Bright Young Things, following this with musical drama series Blackpool in 2004 and several additional roles in 2005 including an appearance in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as Barty Crouch Jr.

This was the same year that Tennant was cast as the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, the series which inspired him to act. He starred in the show for three series and was succeeded by Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, though he returned to the show for its 50th Anniversary special in 2013 and again – as the Fourteenth Doctor – in 2023.

Tennant’s other notable roles include as DI Alec Hardy in crime thriller series Broadchurch which he starred in alongside Olivia Colman, Kilgrave in Marvel television series Jessica Jones as well as the demon Crowley in Prime Video fantasy series Good Omens.

In 2020 his television roles include Deadwater Fell, a thriller series where he plays a doctor suspected of murdering his family, and miniseries Des in which he portrays Scottish series killer Dennis Nilsen which he won an Emmy Award for Best Actor.

His film roles include 2013 comedy What We Did on Our Holiday, 2017 films Mad to Be Normal and You, Me and Him, as well as appearances in 2018 movies Bad Samaritan and Mary Queen of Scots. Earlier films starring David Tennant include Glorious 39, St Trinian’s 2, The Decoy Bride and Fright Night, a 2011 remake of the 1985 horror comedy.

Alongside his Good Omens co-star Michael Sheen in 2020, during the Covid lockdown, Tennant and Sheen starred in comedy series Staged as fictionalised versions of themselves. The show largely used Zoom to film and also featured Simon Evans, Anna Lundberg, Lucy Eaton and Georgia Tennant.

Following the pandemic his roles include BBC One series Inside Man and the 2022 ITV dramatisation Alexander Litvinenko’s 2006 poisoning and the subsequent fight to prove the guilt of those responsible.

In addition, Tennant has also taken on many voice roles in films including Fireman Sam and How to Train Your Dragon as well as television series such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Ashoka and The Legend of Vox Machina.

David Tennant family

David Tennant met Georgia Moffett in 2008 while filming Doctor Who, where she played his genetically engineered daughter.

The couple were married in 2022 and share five children together. Their oldest son, Ty Tennant, is also an actor having appeared in TV series including War of the Worlds, House of the Dragon. Their daughter Olive has also made her on-screen debut in Kenneth Brannagh’s Oscar winning film Belfast.